Therapy of the neoplastic diseases has largely involved the use of chemotherapeutic agents, radiation and surgery. However, results with these measures, while beneficial in some tumors, has had only marginal or no effect in many others, while demonstrating unacceptable toxicity. Hence, there has been a quest for newer modalities to treat neoplastic diseases.
In 1980, tumoricidal effects were demonstrated in four of five patients with advanced breast cancer utilizing therapy with plasma perfused over Staphylococcal Protein A. Terman, D. S., Young, J. B., Shearer, W. T., Ayus, C., Lehane, D., Mattioli, C., Espada, R., Howell, J. F., Yamamoto, T., Zaleski, H. E., Miller, L., Frommer, P., Feldman, L., Henry, J. F., Tillquist, R., Cook, G., Daskal, Y., New Eng. J. Med., 305, 1195, 1981. This elaborate system involved the administration of patient plasma which was perfused over a solid surface to which Staphylococcal Protein A was chemically attached. Protein A was prepared by batch fermentation of Staphylococcus. It was isolated from the media and partially purified by affinity chromatography.
While the initial observations of tumor killing effects with the immobilized Protein A perfusion system have been confirmed, additional results have been inconsistent. The explanation of these inconsistencies appears to be as follows. First, commercial Protein A has been shown to be an impure preparation, as evident from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and radioimmunoassays showing Staphylococcal enterotoxins to be present. Secondly, various methods of the immobilization of Protein A to solid supports have been used, sometimes resulting in loss of biological activity of the plasma perfusion system. Thirdly, the plasma used for perfusion over the immobilized Protein A has been stored and treated in different ways, sometimes resulting in inactivation of the system. Moreover, the antitumor element present in this extremely complex perfusion system has not been previously defined. The system contained an enormous number of biologically active materials, to include Staphylococcal Protein A itself, Staphylococcal proteases, nucleases, exotoxins, enterotoxins and leukocidin, as well as the solid support and coating materials. Additional products included several anaphylatoxins generated in plasma after contact with immobilized Protein A. Finally, it is speculated that the biological activity of the system was due to extraction by Protein A of immunosuppressive immune complexes capable of blocking the host's antitumor response.
The present invention demonstrates that isolated Staphylococcal enterotoxins, identified initially as trace contaminants in commercial Protein A preparations can reliably reproduce the tumoricidal reactions and toxicity observed with the whole perfusion system. As such, these materials appear to represent the most active tumoricidal components in the Protein A perfusion system matrix. These materials demonstrate tumoricidal activity in small doses and produce tumoricidal effects and toxicity identical to that observed in animals and man with the whole Protein A perfusion system. However, the tumoricidal effects may be produced by a simple intravenous injection. Therefore, it has been possible to completely eliminate the elaborate and complex Protein A perfusion system, with its enormous number of component parts, unpredictable performance and potential toxicity problems. This system may be replaced by the enterotoxins which may be administered via simple intravenous injection and have the distinct advantages of convenience, reliability, safety and efficacy over the cumbersome, inefficient and often ineffective extracorporeal Protein A perfusion system. There is no prior report in the literature or elsewhere of antitumor effects ascribable to this group of proteins.
Enterotoxins have distinct advantages in inducing tumor killing effects over the more cumbersome and elaborate Staphylococcal Protein A plasma perfusion systems. One advantage is that enterotoxins are relatively simple proteins that may be infused after being solubilized in saline. This solubility obviates the need to immobilize Protein A or other biologicals on a solid support, and eliminates the requirement for perfusing plasma over a solid surface. Moreover, it bypasses problems associated with potential toxic reactions to impurities of Protein A. Consequently, enterotoxins appear to be far safer and more effective than previously described systems. Moreover, the system requires no elaborate sterilization and there is no problem with potential leaching of immobilized materials or chemical products from an inert surface as there would be with an extracorporeal column. Hence, this product offers decided advantages of effectiveness and convenience over the original system. Indeed, all evidence points to enterotoxins as being the most active antitumor product in the Staphylococcal Protein A plasma perfusion system.